A/N: I'm finally BACK! And I thank you for encouraging me, you wonderful reviewers: RandomW, hatsoff, Fall Out Bones Girl, Angelic 915, Anaika Skywalker, GriffinGirl8655, Shadowdragon1317, dm1, Cure Eclipse! :) Let's start!
Chapter 10
The Doctor's Brother
Bad Wolf Bay.
Rose had never imagined that she would have to come back. Come back and stand here. Although she loved her John Tyler more than anyone in the world, a part of her did miss her Doctor. The man with a manic grin and a blue box.
It hurt to remember, remember saying goodbye to the Doctor. But she couldn't let John go off on his own. His eyes were as dark as a stormy night, like in his worst moments in life, but yet, they were alight with hope. He had insisted to go, like a haunted man; and she would never let him feel alone, especially in times like this.
Oh.
Her heart stuttered as a blue hologram zoomed up from nowhere in particular. As it became clearer and clearer—she saw a woman with wild, curly hair and a blond, ponytail girl looking into the screen with wide eyes.
"Dad? Oh, this is weird. It's like talking to the TV, River!"
"Jenny, we don't have much time. The supernovas burn out in twenty minutes."
"Okay, then. Hi, dad! You can hear me, right?"
Dad? Rose briefly wondered, but John took a step forward, staring into the screen.
"River?" He breathed. "Jenny? But… how?"
The words 'you died'' died on his lips, but they seemed to understand it all the same. They grinned and waved together, trying to cheer up the rather shocked, pale man.
"Cheers, dad! We are alive! I woke up on Messaline a few minutes after you left. Oh… wait. You were born from his right hand, right? And I was, too! Does that make us… siblings?" Jenny scrunched her nose in confusion. "Ew. That's definitely weird."
"Focus, Jenny. Oh, and the Doctor saved me from the Library! Actually, that's why we are here. To see you, Doctor, and your Rose." River leaned into the screen and smiled.
The reason they were here? Rose tilted her head in confusion. Jenny spotted her, and cheerfully waved again.
"Oh, you're Rose Tyler, right? Nice to meet you! My dad—I mean, my world's Doctor—missed you a lot! But it has been a few centuries for him—"
"What?" Rose raised her voice in disbelief. A few centuries?! But… but it had been only six years for them!
"And he regenerated—"
"What?!"
"—and he got through many, many things, made new friends and foes, but he never forgot you, Rose Tyler, the Woman who Counted. Because he's the same man, always, no matter what his face is; he was always running back to us." River finished, smiling fondly at the blond girl. Tears slowly gathered in Rose's eyes.
"He really cares about you, and always will. Don't you forget that."
"Where is he?" She blurted out. John stood by her side, listening quietly, never taking his eyes off the two of them. He nodded.
"Yes. Where is the Doctor?"
Jenny fidgeted. "He… had an accident in the Time Vortex, bombarded with excess Huon Energy, and he got, well, sort of—"
She hesitated, looking uncomfortable. Rose stared at her, startled. Her heart sank. An accident? What could it be? Was it something terrible? Was the Doctor hurt beyond measure? As far as she knew, the last time he absorbed a piece of Time Vortex, he had to regenerate. God knew what would happen if he got drenched in a pure, massive dose of Time Energy.
But what Jenny said next was wholly unexpected for both John Tyler and Rose.
"Um, he sort of… got… de-aged!"
DWDWDWDWDWDW
Theta glared up at Donna defiantly.
Donna glared back.
The epic glaring battle of history, Jack thought, wincing.
When Theta came to his senses shortly after Jenny ran off with River in the TARDIS to God-knows-where, Donna had slapped his back for good. And OUCH, it hurt. Then the ginger started scolding the boy for 'always recklessly driving himself into dangerous situations head-first, and Theta, being the Doctor, began angrily defending himself, saying that 'he should be allowed to tell lies from time to time'.
Which, of course, infuriated Donna even further.
"And who taught you such nonsense?!"
"My older brother! Brax!"
"Well, I'm going to beat that brat into pieces if I meet him, Sunshine!"
"He is Brax, not brat! And if you want to beat him, go ahead and try, you Towering Inferno." Theta huffed, glaring at the ginger and crossing his arms sternly. He seemed to try to look imposing and threatening, but in that body of his, the pose just looked ridiculously childish. Amy stifled the laughter that threatened to burst out any second.
"He is the smartest Time Lord that I've ever seen!"
"Oh, really? Well, look, I'm Doctor Donna, the smartest human you've ever seen! Duh," Donna scoffed, but they saw her throw her throw a worried glance in the direction of Theta, who was pouting indignantly.
Donna didn't like to let this go that easily; she wanted to drive a 'not lying' policy into the Doc's mind once and for all. But she didn't like where this conversation was going, either. They didn't want to break the news that he, Theta, was the last surviving Time Lord too fast. He wouldn't be able to bear such a burden.
Donna and Sarah Jane quickly exchanged knowing glances.
Do you want me to change subjects?
Oh, that's a good idea.
"So… where did Jenny go? She just rushed in and rushed out with River. And how did the TARDIS disappear?" Sarah Jane gently stepped in and asked lightly, successfully distracting Theta's attention. He frowned, rubbing his back, which was still sore from the infamous Noble slap. Yes. He was wondering about that, too. How did they manage to dematerialize the TARDIS?
Amy eyed them, surprised.
"Oh. You mean you didn't know yet? River can drive the TARDIS. She's better at it than the Doctor, actually."
"What?" They all stared at her, surprised.
"After all, she's our daughter," Amy continued proudly, tilting her head in Rory's way. "And she's a part-Time Lord, married to the Doctor."
"…WHAT?!"
—And, eruption, of course. As always.
Amy smiled smugly and sat back down on the couch. Theta was frozen absolutely still from shock, his eyes almost popping out. After all, he was just ten years old, mentally, and he had just found out who his wife was. Rory shut his eyes and groaned in exasperation.
When on earth was this let's-shock-them-into-yelling-their-heads-off pattern going to end?
DWDWDWDWDWDW
"—So we have a de-aged Doctor at hand, and he can't remember anything," Jenny finished, holding up a picture of Theta Sigma flashing a cheeky grin at the camera. The Duplicate Doctor was speechless, simply gaping at the screen, while Rose had to hold back her giggle. Oh, my. Of all the things… this was so very Doctor-ish. She smiled fondly at the adorable child, and his yet-so-familiar grin. Oh, Doctor.
"…This isn't what I've been expecting. Far from it." John groaned, scratching his head. Then he frowned into the screen. "Hold on. You said he lost his memories?"
"Yes. He thinks he is Theta Sigma, but he has been informed that he was the Doctor. Plus, he keeps having flashbacks." River answered, and glanced at the clock. Seven minutes, forty-six seconds left.
John Tyler paced back and forth, his head spinning from the complex calculations. No. Yes. No. Yes! No. No! Maybe. But—… He stopped on the spot, muttering to himself.
"Huon Energy, Time Vortex. Collision with Atron Energy. Fusion. Reverse—? Oh. Oh. I get it! Yes, there may be a way to restore his memories."
"Really?" Jenny perked up, grinning eagerly. But John's face was still all too glum. He tilted his head, expressing uncertainty.
"The Chameleon Arch. You know what that is?"
Jenny and River nodded; although they didn't know the exact mechanism, they had at least both heard of it. Seeing them nod, he continued, rubbing his cheek and deep in thought.
"The Arch is designed to construct an intricate net of connections between the TARDIS and the Time Lord. Usually it is used to modify the genes—rebuild cell biology—but it is also used to implant a… a false life story into one's mind."
John paused, and groaned when he saw their utterly confused frowns.
"Oh, forget it. Anyway, the Arch connects the mind directly to the TARDIS. So you should disconnect the wires from the console to prevent it from converting the cell biology of the Doctor to a human, then put it onto his head, and attach the other end of the cords to a psychic being—I mean, someone with telepathic abilities."
He paused and scratched his head.
"Theoretically, even though a Time Lord's mind is well-guarded, the Arch will amplify his brain signals and lift the unconscious mind barrier. That allows the psychic being to penetrate his mind and sort out all the befuddled memories for him. Now, here's the problem. There is…"
He gulped and shut his eyes painfully tight, his jaw shuddering. He whispered in a hoarse, quiet voice.
"There isn't any Time Lord left to help. Not many aliens have as strong psychic abilities as they do, and even less of them are friendly enough to help. There are no Time Lords left… because I…"
His words hung heavily in the air as he choked back an anguished, angry sob. Rose put a sympathetic, consoling hand on his shoulder.
Jenny, however, looked unconcerned. She stared, wide-eyed, at the Meta-Crisis version of her father, and scratched her head rather awkwardly.
"Um, dad?"
John turned to stare at her with angry, tearful eyes.
"You didn't kill the Time Lords. They're alive."
A beat.
"What?!" John asked back, his eyes widening impossibly. Rose's hand flew to her mouth, too. Jenny looked at River for help; she didn't know the specifics, and didn't know how to explain it to them. Not to mention that there were only about half a minute left before the supernovas went out, closing the fissure between dimensions forever. Taking a hurried glance at her wristwatch, River rummaged her handbag and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper.
"We don't have much time," She said, arching her eyebrows apologetically. "But this is the letter the Doctor from the future wrote to the two of you, and we may be able to transmit this to you just in time. Well then, I guess the time's up. Good bye, Sweetie. It was nice to meet you."
River smiled, and Jenny grinned alongside.
"Bye, dad! I hope to meet you again. You too, Rose! Oh, and—"
They never heard what Jenny was going to say, for the hologram flickered and went out the next moment. Gone, as if it had never existed.
John was staring blankly into the air, when a piece of paper—the letter—appeared out of nowhere and landed in Rose's hand. Her heart fluttered, and John looked at her sadly.
"Read it for me," He asked in a soft, vulnerable voice. "Please, Rose."
Rose hesitated for a moment, but nodded in the end. Her heart drumming steadily, she unfolded the paper slowly, cleared her throat and began reading.
"'Dear Rose, and Doctor.
It has been a long time for me. A very, very long time. Oh, just a few centuries, give or take, of course. Many things happened— I've regenerated, the Universe collapsed twice, I've been erased from existence once, I've married— yes, many things, Rose, did happen.
After letting go of you, I was so hurt, lonely, and afraid. I made even bigger mistakes, trying to tamper with fixed events and fighting time itself. I had even once declared myself as 'the Time Lord Victorious', saying that no one could stop me anymore. But time did pass, and I moved on. Eventually. I grew up enough to look back and smile at the memory; I never forgot you, any of you, but I learned to look back at my flaws.
Doctor, I am speaking to you now.
At the time, I was too young and angry. I said bad things to you, and did you so much injustice—I remember accusing you of committing genocide.'"
You were born in battle. Full of blood and anger and revenge.
But… you made me!
"'And I'm so, so sorry.'"
Tears tingled in Rose's eyes as she read on.
"'I was wrong. You did what had to be done. You stopped the Daleks. You did the impossible by saving Earth, so many people, all the people… It wasn't I who did it. It was you. It was always you.
You are more human, more courageous, and more brilliant than I can ever be, and yet, you are a Doctor. If anyone deserves Rose Tyler, it's you, not me.
And just one more thing; Gallifrey had been saved. Gallifrey, our planet, has never been destroyed. My memory has been just restored; all of our incarnations had come together to save it in the last moment— that the Moment had never been used. We froze it into a pocket universe, saving it, not destroying it. We gave them hope, and now, I'm going to go searching for it. Our home.
Remember, Doctor. You were not a killer, and you will never be. You are a good man. And you are not alone.
For you, Rose Tyler, be your amazing self. You healed me, and I loved you, although I couldn't bring myself to say it when we last parted. I'll never forget how I felt for you; I'll write your name in the stars and galaxies for people to sing and love.
I give you forever thanks, both of you. And now is the time for us to say our goodbyes and move onwards. Farewell, Rose. Oh, and Doctor…
Geromino.'"
And beneath those words was a single word, written in Gallifreyan—the Doctor's name.
As the last farewell present, he had entrusted them with what he valued more than his life. The Biggest Secret in the Universe.
Oh, Doctor…
John stumbled forth and hugged Rose tight. A sob ripped through his lungs. He wasn't a killer. And for the first time in his life, he was really and truly the Doctor. He wept, overwhelmed with a sudden rush of emotions. Gratitude. Relief. He wept and wept because he was so happy.
Laughing tearfully, too, Rose pulled him into a warm embrace. And there they stood, holding onto each other and laughing and crying—right there, on the Bad Wolf Bay.
And John Tyler's eyes—which had been tormented with pain and spite and anger for so long a time—gazed into hers, and finally, finally… she saw the anger dissolve. In its place, at long last, there was hope.
DWDWDWDWDWDW
"Trenzalore," Jenny whispered in awe, staring at the beautiful planet looming into her view. Then she scowled, looking up. "And an awful lot of Daleks."
"Oh, and don't forget the Church of Silents, Jenny." River smirked, pointing at the TARDIS screen. It showed signs of energy transmission; a shield was projected just above the planet. "They won't like what we are going to do."
"Oh. You mean, blow a few Dalek ships up, venture a headfirst dive through the shield, ignore their warnings, shout the name of the Doctor, and enter through the Crack, Mom?"
"Yes! And since this is a TARDIS, they will think that it's the Doctor trying to bring the Time Lords back, Sweetie." River winked, and Jenny gave a little cheer in excitement.
"Well then," River tossed her the blaster gun. "I'll drive the TARDIS, you stand guard and shoot at will. Oh, and don't forget to cross your hears and pray not to die."
"Yes, Captain!" She grabbed the gun, loaded it, and took aim, ready to shoot. River strolled forth and stood in front of the console. She inhaled deeply.
"Okay," she announced, "Here we go."
And she pulled the lever.
DWDWDWDWDWDW
Somewhere far, far away…
"They say that Demons run when a good man goes to war. But in some places, there's more to this poem, a part that is always left unspoken."
The blond man laughed bitterly, his skull flickering transparently for a moment.
"Demons run when a good man goes to war.
Night will fall and the storm will rise,
When a good man goes to war.
However, Demons, beware; the Cardinal is coming.
When the good man's brother goes to war, only death will arise and no one's spared.
The good man is an Oncoming Storm, a Lonely God; the Cardinal is a Deadly Calm, no sympathy, no mercy, no loneliness whatsoever.
So beware, Demons, and run; for the Cardinal is coming for you."
A/N: Okay! So Jenny is about to meet her 'uncle'! Tentoo is happy, and… can you guess who this blond man with his poem is? (wink wink) You know him all right!
Next Chapter will be Donna/Wilfred/Theta fatherly family fluff! Please R&R!